Explaining Future Sex Offending Through Childhood Sexual Abuse

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Gamble, Hailey
Area of Honors:
Psychological and Social Sciences
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Kevin Hsu, Thesis Supervisor
David Ruth, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Child Sexual Offenses
Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual History
Abstract:
This study examines the relationship between individuals that have been arrested or have been convicted on charges relating to child sex offenses as well as individuals that have a history of a sexual contact with an adult as a child. This study utilizes data from Kevin Hsu’s previous study looking at men with a sexual attraction towards children (Bailey et al., 2016). A strong, positive relationship was found between the individuals who have been arrested and with the individuals who have had a sexual abuse history as a child. This indicates that a prior history of sexual abuse can be a strong factor influencing future offending of children. This research supports the findings of other studies that have committed to determining influential factors of child sex offenders to later help the prevention of the act.